After nearly a decade away from the studio, Ireland’s powerhouse blues rock trio Crow Black Chicken are back with Ghost Dance, their long-awaited fourth studio album and their first full-length release since 2016. The new record reaffirms their place at the gritty heart of modern blues rock—a genre they’ve been redefining since their formation in 2009.
Legendary roots artists have taken notice. Ray Wylie Hubbard praises their raw, dirty blues, while Alvin Youngblood Hart boldly declares, “CBC could save rock and roll.” Even Classic Rock Blues Magazine recognized their breakout potential from the beginning, noting the band’s refusal to be boxed in after their 2012 debut Electric Soup.
Ghost Dance was recorded at GAF Studios in County Tipperary with veteran producer Philip Magee, who also helmed their debut. The album’s lead single “Bottom Feeders” arrives with swagger and stomp, while “Make It Right” stretches into Americana territory with its textured guitars and rhythmic backbone. But it’s the blistering focus track, “Hot Molasses,” that fully captures the CBC essence: Christy O’Hanlon’s soulful vocals, Stephen McGrath’s steady basslines, and Gev Barrett’s percussive force, all working in lockstep.
Reflecting on the journey, the band said, “Ghost Dance is a really special album to us. It marks almost ten years from our last release—a decade spent rethinking, evolving, and focusing on the live end of things… It’s been a long road, but getting back into the studio and having the chance to work with Philip Magee again has all made it feel like the right time, almost full circle. We’re proud.”
From its whiskey-aged grit to its electrified soul, Ghost Dance is not a comeback—it’s a reaffirmation. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, it’s a chance to witness a band still burning with purpose and power.